THE PREFACE PLAN, A NEW CONCEPT OF INSERVICE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS NEWLY ASSIGNED TO URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS OF LOW INCOME. FINAL REPORT.

STROM, ROBERT D.

AN INSERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM CONCENTRATED ON INCREASING THE CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS NEWLY ASSIGNED TO SCHOOLS IN LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. TWENTY-ONE TEACHERS (NINE WITH NO PREVIOUS TEACHING EXPERIENCE) WHO HAD ACCEPTED POSITIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING FALL WERE GIVEN A 6-WEEK SUMMER WORKSHOP WHICH INCLUDED LECTURES, HOME VISITS, FILMS, JUVENILE COURT ATTENDANCE, TEACHING SMALL GROUPS OF CHILDREN, AND SPEAKING WITH MOTHERS RECEIVING AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN. RESOURCE TEACHERS WHO WOULD WORK WITH THEM DURING THE YEAR ALSO ATTENDED. THE TEACHERS FELT MORE CONFIDENT AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND PARTICULARLY VALUED THEIR DIRECT EXPERIENCES. RESOURCE TEACHERS, BUILDING PRINCIPALS, AND THE PROJECT DIRECTOR OBSERVED EACH TEACHER'S CLASSROOM DURING THE YEAR AND OFFERED HELP IN DIFFICULT AREAS. MONTHLY INSERVICE MEETINGS WERE ALSO HELD. DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR DISCIPLINE WAS VIEWED AS THE GREATEST PROBLEM, BUT IT IMPROVED AS THE YEAR PROGRESSED. AT THE END OF THE YEAR 19 OF THE TEACHERS WERE RANKED BY THEIR PRINCIPALS AS AVERAGE OR ABOVE, AND 20 ELECTED TO TEACH IN A LOW INCOME SETTING, IN COMPARISON WITH THE EIGHT WHO DID SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM. (AF)